Ornament retaining construction



May 2, 1939. v Q B NG v 2,156,833

ORNAMENT RETAIN ING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1935 7% G 7 //a ZM/ 73-31% In verz for Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,156,833 ORNAMENT RETAINING CONSTRUCTION Ralph C. Bangs, Providence, R. I., assignor to Leo K. Stupell Application March 7, 1935, Serial No. 9,757

7 Claims.

My present invention relates to ornaments, and has particular reference to novel retaining means therefor.

Ornaments are applied to personal articlessuch as handbags, vanities, cigarette cases, and the like, by using retaining prongs, by pasting or cementing, by frictional locking, and similar means. Such applications have disadvantageous features, in that the ornament may become loose or dislodged, and the proper setting of the ornaments requires care and experience. It is the principal object of my invention to provide a novel ornament retainer arrangement in which the ornament is readily mounted in proper alignment, and cannot be dislodged or become loose after mounting.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an illustrative article equipped with the novel ornament retaining arrangement;

Fig. 2 is an. enlarged section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, parts being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the novel retaining frame;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the frame of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one ornament, the illustration showing an initial letter;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the frame panels.

It has been found advisable to provide a retainer construction for ornaments in which any selected ornament or ornaments may be readily inserted by the purchaser or by an inexperienced sales clerk, the ornaments being locked against accidental removal, and rigidly held against dislodgement or loosening. I have therefore provided a novel frame, which may be inserted in any article, such as a vanity case, cigarette box, handbag, and similar articles or may be formed or stamped as an integral part, and which has a recess or recesses .into which an ornament or ornaments, such as for example initial letters, may be quickly inserted for permanent retention therein.

Thus, referring to the drawing, I have illustrated a vanity case It) in Fig. l which has a frame ll mounted in the cover thereof, and may be integral therewith or soldered thereto as at Ila, in which a plurality of ornaments I2 are inserted for permanent retention, whereby the attractive appearance of the vanity case is greatly enhanced. The illustrated ornaments are in the 5 form of initial letters for spelling a monogram.

The frame H, see Fig. 3, has a plurality of recesses l3, M and I5, formed by stamping or the like, each with two tongues I6, I! which are spaced to provide a resilient seat for an ornal0 ment. The upper bar 18 of the frame is slotted, as at 19, between the tongues, the slot being of substantial width, and the lower bar 29 is similarly slotted as at 2|, and has two fingers 22, 23 struck up and extending towards correspondingly spaced openings 24, 25 in the tongues IE, ll. A spring wire 26 is threaded through the fingers 22, 23, which are curved, so as'to retain the spring wire adjacent the slots 2| and slightly spaced in front thereof.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the ornament l2, which preferably is of stamped metal, has a base 21, a design 28 being formed thereon, an upper tab 29, adapted to seat in the slot l9, and a lower downwardly and outwardly curved tab 30, which 25 is adapted to engage the spring wire 26, see Fig.

2, and force it slightly backward into the slot 2|, whereby the tab may be engaged with the spring wire, and the entire ornament then shifted downwardly until the tab 29 can enter the slot 30 I9, whereupon the ornament may shift upwardly and becomes permanently locked in place. The fingers 22, 23 prevent backward movement of the spring wire except where engaged by the tab 30, between the fingers.

It is thus evident that the invention comprises a frame which may be inset in an article, or may be formed as part of the article, the frame having a recess or recesses to receive an ornament, and having an upper and a lower opening to receive 0 tabs on the ornament, the lower tab being pressed against a yielding spring to permit sufiicient movement of the ornament to allow insertion of the upper tab in its base opening, whereupon the spring moves the ornament back to lock both tabs in their openings. The entire procedure is thus simple and easy, and the ornament is securely locked in place and cannot become loose or dislodged.

Instead of using openings and tabs, grooves may be provided in the frame, and the ends of the ornaments shaped to enter the grooves, one of said grooves having a spring member adapted to press against the associated ornament end to retain the ornament in place.

While I have described one specific embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that desired changes in the arrangement of the parts, in their relative size and their function, in the material used, and in the number of recesses and the number and type of ornament used, may be made to suit the requirements of different designers, within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a base having a recess, one side wall of said recess having an opening, an ornament having a projecting part insertable in said opening, and spring means anchored in the opposite recess wall of said base yieldableto permit insertion of said ornament into said recess and locking said ornament against removal after insertion, by urging said projecting part into said opening.

2. In combination, a base having a recess, one side wall of said recess having an opening, an ornament having a projecting part insertable in said opening, and a spring bar anchored in said base positioned opposite said opening and yieldable to permit insertion of said ornament into said recess under said bar and locln'ng said ornament against removal after insertion.

3. In combination, a base having a recess, opposite walls of said recess each having an opening, an ornament seated in said recess and having lugs insertable into said openings, and spring means anchored in said base yieldable to permit insertion of said lugs and locking said lugs .against removal after insertion.

4. In combination, a base having a recess, opposite Walls of said recess each having an opening, an ornament seated in said recess and having lugs insertable into said openings, and a spring bar in said base positioned adjacent one opening 40 and yieldable to permit insertion of said lugs and locking said lugs against removal after insertion.

5. In combination, a base stamped to provide a recess and longitudinally disposed spaced tongues extending into said recess, the horizontal walls of said recess having openings positioned intermediate said spaced tongues, an ornament insertable in said recess .and resiliently seatable on said tongues, said ornament having projecting parts insertable in said openings, and spring means in said base yieldable to permit insertion of said parts .and locking said parts against removal after insertion.

6. In combination, a base stamped to provide a recess and longitudinally disposed spaced tongues extending into said recess, the horizontal walls of said recess having openings positioned intermediate said spaced tongues, an ornament insertable in said recess and resiliently seatable on said tongues, said ornament having projecting parts insertable in said openings, and a spring bar in said base positioned adjacent one opening and yieldable to permit insertion of said parts and locking said parts against removal after insertion.

'7. In combination, a base stamped to provide a recess and longitudinally disposed spaced tongues extending into said recess, the horizontal Walls of said recess having openings positioned intermediate said spaced tongues, an ornament insertable in said recess and resiliently seatable on said tongues, said ornament having projecting parts insertable in said openings, and a spring bar in said base positioned adjacent one of said openings and seated in lock fingers struck up from said base and yieldable to permit insertion of one of said parts in the adjacent opening and looking it against removal after insertion.

RALPH C. BANGS. 

